


Day 100

by Josh_the_Bard



Series: A Year in Kirkwall [100]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:27:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23570794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Josh_the_Bard/pseuds/Josh_the_Bard
Summary: CM mentions of self harm
Series: A Year in Kirkwall [100]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1589257
Kudos: 1





	Day 100

**Author's Note:**

> CM mentions of self harm

Cullen liked to take an active role in the training of the new templars. There were far too many for him to train personally, but he could make the rounds during training sessions and take notes. Meredith had assigned him a tranquill scribe to aid him in this, she seemed to approve of the hands-on role he took in his duties. .

Today was an unusual day in that he had an unwelcome tagalong for his rounds. A seeker of truth had turned up at his office that morning and declared his intent to shadow the Knight Captain in his duties. Meredith had warned all the high ranking templars that they were being evaluated on their handling of the mages in Kirkwall. She had also informed them that a seeker could root out any secrets they set their minds to finding and to conduct their business as usual.

For Cullen that meant criticizing the fighting techniques of the drill instructors. Cullen did not think of himself as an arrogant man. He knew he was still very young and that the order was full of men and women with decades of experience. But he also knew that he had packed a great deal of experience into the few years he had been a full templar knight. He had seen many templars fall in Ferelden to demon attacks and more still in Kirkwall. He could not stand by and watch recruits being taught dangerously flawed techniques. There were many drills that Cullen had seen and even done successfully a thousand times in training that became useless when tried in practice. Cullen had made few friends by showing up drillmasters with two decades of experience on him but, for the sake of his comrades, he could not stay silent. When the Kirkwall templars had started noticing fewer casualties in their fights against mages and demons, the complaints had turned inter under-the-breath grousing, and that Cullen could pretend to ignore. 

The seeker watched Cullen’s inspection silently, save for when he requested Cullen personally teach him a technique he had never encountered before. Cullen felt a swell of pride at that. The seekers were meant to be the very best the Chantry had to offer. When the rounds were complete, the seeker followed Cullen back to his office where the interrogation began in earnest.

“I have noticed that you have a higher number of tranquil than other circles,” said the seeker. They both glanced at Cullen’s scribe, Alba. The woman gave no indication that she marked their attention.

“It is true,” Cullen admitted. “The right is applied more widely here. Meredith prefers to ere on the side of caution.”

“And do you agree with the Knight Commander in this matter?”

“If I did, I would not tell you,” Cullen said flatly. “But as it happens I do. I have seen the consequences of allowing dangerous mages to live in the circle. And I have seen the dangers of letting such mages escape.”

“You were in Kirkwall when the tower fell,” the seeker said. Cullen nodded.

“I was the only templar to survive inside the tower before the Hero of Fereldon came to return order. I have seen more than most.”

“The right is not meant to be used on mages who pass their harrowing,” the seeker noted.

“That is true,” Cullen said. The seeker waited for him to elaborate and when he did not, the man turned to Alba.

“Did you pass your harrowing?”

“No.”

“Was magic difficult for you to controle?”

“I was not a mage,” Alba replied.

“Pardon?” The seeker gasped. Alba rolled up a sleeve showing the scars on her arm.

“These scars made the templars suspect that I was practicing blood magic. As you cannot prove a negative, I was made tranquil as a precaution.”

“Is this true?” the seeker asked.

“The events she recounted are accurate,” Cullen said. “She has the marks of a blood mage and we could not prove otherwise.”

“She claims she is no mage,” said the seeker stroking his beard. “Have you ever known a tranquill to lie?”

“I have,” Cullen said. “When they felt it was in their interest. They have more will then most give them credit for.”

“I would like this tranquill to accompany me for the rest of my visit here,” said the seeker.

“Her name is Alba,” Cullen said.

“Alba, you will, for the next few days, follow me and take notes as I direct.” He turned to Cullen. “I’m sure you will have ample choice of replacement in the meantime.”


End file.
